Inclusion
Most of my life, I have been solely focused on autism awareness. My advocacy grew from promoting awareness to inclusion. Just because someone is aware of a disability, does not mean they are accepting of it. Our world has come a long way with becoming more accepting of others, but we still have a long way to go. We need to focus more on promoting inclusion and this starts with educating others.
What Is Inclusion?
Inclusion is the opposite of exclusion. Inclusion means everyone has the opportunity to participate within a group no matter their differences while exclusion is not allowing an individual to participate in a group. It is our human nature to want to be included in society. We all want to feel respected, heard, valued, and welcomed. Inclusion makes everyone feel all of those emotions.
Why Is Inclusion Important?
Inclusion is crucial for the development of our sense of belonging. One similarity we all have is that we are all human and as humans, we want to be accepted in society. Everyone wants to, feel welcomed, respected, and feel like they have a voice. If people do not feel included, they will feel excluded. Feeling exclusion can lead to negative mental health, depression and suicide. Be Inclusive to ensure value and importance in others.
10 Ways To Be Inclusive
- Acknowledge every person in a group
- Invite others to participate in events or activities
- Respect all individuals no matter their values, beliefs, or differences.
- Educate yourself on other’s experiences. (Listen and Learn)
- Provide everyone with the same opportunity
- Let others speak their opinion on a subject
- Do not disrespect others’ contribution to a group
- Lower your expectations on society
- Be empathetic
- Participate in inclusive programs in your school or community
What to do When Someone is Feeling Excluded
- Be an active listener.
- Validate their feelings.
- Take a step in their shoes (be empathetic).
- Understand when it is appropriate to get an adult or another adult involved.
- Establish other connections
Inclusive Autism Symbol
There are many autism symbols, one of them being the rainbow infinity symbol. The rainbow infinity symbol represents not just the autism spectrum but provides a worldwide spectrum. We are all neurologically different and we need to embrace our differences. This symbol is a design that shows how diverse neurodiverse individuals are. Although, what would inclusion be if not everyone was accepted and welcomed? The word InclUSion would not be complete if there was no US? InclUSion starts with US, meaning we all have to do our part to create worldwide inclusion.
